


sunny side up

by Anonymous



Series: needle and thread [1]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Developing Friendships, Gen, Slice of Life, Summer Vacation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-24
Updated: 2019-07-24
Packaged: 2020-06-26 04:15:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,833
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19760389
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: Jaemin meets Lee Donghyuck, and it doesn't start well. Life keeps moving. Soon enough, it lets you try again.





	sunny side up

**Author's Note:**

> this all started bc i saw the prompt, had an out of body vision of hyuck saying "hey princess" to his little sister, and knew this was the one. originally i wanted to write a linear progression of nahyuck's relationship from strangers to lovers (i planned it all out too 🥺 so maybe i'll write that someday) but bc of the time limit it became more of an observation of jaem's life, relationships, and how hyuck enters it. i'm still happy w the way it turned out and i hope u all enjoy it as well! :]
> 
> i also got super mushy abt my own brother at the end when writing this like siblings are the worst and the best there's nothing 2 describe it. i think it's a beautiful thing also its 5am 
> 
> thanks to all my moots who always cheered me on 💓💓 i truly couldn't have done it w/o u

Jaemin groans, clutching his hand to his chest. “You’re the _worst_. This is the worst. Everything about today so far has been the worst. Embarrassing, horrible, simply abhorrent—” Yuta clears his throat, and Jaemin rounds on him. “Anything to add, good sir?”

Yuta snorts. “Yeah, dramatic.” He waves the ice pack in front of Jaemin’s face. “You done?”

He pouts and takes it reluctantly, pushing his legs against the desk so the chair spins away from his cousin’s gaze. “Yeah, I’m done,” he mumbles.

Yuta leans on the counter, waiting until Jaemin sighs and gestures for him to talk. "To business then. You can leave your stuff behind the desk," he starts. He points around, explaining what each room is called and what it's for, as well as which they're working in, what he's supposed to do, how many kids there are, and so on. After being briefed, Yuta shows him a clipboard. "I've got the list of people who’re approved for pick up, you probably won't need to use it. Double check for your own conscience if you like."

Jaemin makes a gagging noise in response. "It's just children, Nana," Yuta says, handing him a water bottle. "You'll be okay."

"That's what Mom said," he complains. "Easy for her to say, she's had one already."

Yuta laughs, shaking his head. "Trust me, you're fine. Kids always seem to love you."

The office fills up with a rush of parents. They wave to Yuta and nod at Jaemin before telling their kids to behave, giving them a reassuring pat, and running out. 

Once the kids get antsy, Taeyong pops his head in. "Alright, everyone! Come on in, we're gonna start by playing a little game!” Jaemin grips his water bottle tighter as some kids run out of the room, shrieking with excitement. 

To his surprise, they’re quite sweet, if not just too energetic and fidgety for this time in the morning. That’s the magic of kids, he supposes. It’s still difficult. He feels like he’s falling behind with the unsaid expectations of his job. After being dragged around by various children for a couple of hours through various activities, including but not limited to: reading, writing, dancing, math, playtime, and art, he’s ready to turn into a puddle of mush. Their breaks come during naptime, ambient music playing while Taeyong sets up for lunch.

“If you brought food, you're welcome to eat with them,” he says when everyone’s seated.

"Ah no, it's fine." Jaemin lunges forward and grabs for hand sanitizer as they open their lunchboxes. “Wait, clean your hands first!" 

After class ends and children file back into the office, Yuta taps his shoulder. "People are gonna start getting here. You go wait at the front desk, just check 'em off if you recognize them. You just have to sit there, honestly. I'll watch 'em for now, okay?"

"You can't watch over them all by yourself," Jaemin protests. 

"I had to babysit all you guys when I was younger, I think I'll be fine," Yuta teases. He shoos him off as a parent walks in, talking hurriedly on her phone while grabbing her daughter's hand and giving them a grateful smile. "Go, go. You won't mess up without me."

Jaemin's a broken record while greeting the people who enter, trying not to seem disinterested and check his phone every two seconds, lest he give the center a bad rep. Thirty minutes in with kids still waiting to be picked up, he accepts that this is his life now. 

A boy in a black hoodie approaches the door and peers inside every thirty seconds or so. He watches the boy fidget outside for a few minutes, avoiding looking directly at Jaemin when he looks in through the door. He checks his phone, looks up and around, and then down again all while pacing back and forth. The flighty energy transfers to Jaemin and his leg starts to bounce, until the boy finally enters. 

"Hi, I'm here for Jiwoo?" Jaemin remembers her. She was dropped off early, sitting in the office before Jaemin was even there, swinging her legs and humming to herself. Jaemin squints. He definitely recognizes the boy from somewhere, though he can't put his finger on it. The boy glares and clears his throat when he takes too long, making him jolt. 

He winces. "Name?" 

"Haechan." He flips through the booklet, unease growing when the name is absent from the pages. 

"You aren’t on here..." he trails off, unsure of what the protocol is in this situation. 

The boy huffs. "No, I definitely am."

Jaemin kinda wants to die. That seems like a reasonable way to deal with this. "Right, just, uh— let me check with my cousin."

_Haechan_ tuts as Jaemin rushes to the back, fumbling with the door from how sweaty his palms are. Yuta enters the office, carrying a bin of blocks, then rushes over.

“Breathe, you’re gonna give yourself wrinkles.” He ruffles Jaemin’s hair in an effort to soothe him. “What’s wrong?”

Jaemin cringes at his luck. "Do we know a Haechan?"

Yuta frowns. “I’ll check it out.” Jaemin lags behind, not looking forward to any confrontation. He stops short when Yuta and the boy do a handshake. “Hyuck-ah, long time no see! How’ve you been? How was soccer?” Haechan (Hyuck?) perks up at that, and they launch into a full conversation. Jaemin’s eyes flit between them during the little catch up session, trying to draw the connection while simultaneously dissociating. 

Yuta decides to graciously fill him in. “Oh, this is Donghyuck.” He throws an arm over his shoulder. "I’ve known this kid for years." He pats his cheek. "He's a good one."

"I bet."

“I think you two go to the same school,” Yuta continues.

“Cool.”

He gets the hint. "How's your mother?"

“She’s still working, yknow," Donghyuck sighs, shoving his hands in his pockets. Jaemin wishes he was not standing here right now, eyes boring a hole through him. Donghyuck coughs. "Is Chuu here?" 

“Yep, she’s in the main room. I’ll go get her,” Yuta winks. “It was nice to see you again!”

“Likewise, hyung!” Donghyuck calls back. There's distant voices, then the sounds of footsteps drawing nearer. 

"Channie!" 

Donghyuck visibly brightens, crouching down and opening his arms as Jiwoo runs up to him. “Hey princess,” he says, lifting her into the air. She giggles and holds onto his neck. “She calls me Channie because it’s easier to say.” He pats her head and smirks at Jaemin. “Sorry.”

Jaemin watches them go, a heavy feeling in his chest. He returns to the office to help Taeyong finish cleaning up, although both rooms look pristine already. Yuta beckons him over after and sticks a wad of cash in his palm, smiling from ear to ear. 

Jaemin flushes, shaking his head and trying to hand it back. “Hyung, you don’t have to pay me. It’s for school.”

“What?” Yuta says it like it personally offends him. “Take it anyway. It’s the least I can give you for all your help.”

“Seriously, you can’t.” He brings out his strongest _refusing-money-from-aunts_ weapon, along with a pout and a serious, disappointed tone. “I won’t get credit if you do.”

It does the trick. “You win this time." Yuta flicks his ear, but it's a small sacrifice. He makes a show of thinking about it, then claps and gives him a smug look. "I'll just have to put all this money towards your birthday then.”

"Don't you even _dare_ —"

The next time, someone else comes for Jiwoo. His name's Ten and reliefs floods through Jaemin when he's _actually on the list_ , thank Gaia. 

He and Renjun haven't seen each other since school let out a few days ago. They tend to become hermits when summer rolls around, and Jaemin vowed to his mother that this one would be different. So here he is, sitting alone at a café booth and waiting for his best friend to arrive. 

Renjun pulls out his airpod in lieu of a greeting. Jaemin grins as it’s dropped back into his palm. “To what do I owe the honor of this visit?” 

“Your mom bribed me with your dog.” Renjun slides into the seat, throwing a straw at his expectant look. “Yes, I got your demon drink.”

“Love you,” he drawls, puckering his lips. “You’re the best, Injunnie.”

“To celebrate your employment, I think it’s only fair you pay this time.”

He gasps. “Nevermind, I take it back.” 

Renjun raises his eyebrow. “You have this look now. Like, a _this world is so cruel_ look,” he says. “Spill.”

Jaemin sticks out his tongue at him, ripping the paper off his straw. “Do not.”

He blinks and Renjun snatches his cup. “Spill,” he repeats, inching it towards the edge of the table. “Or she dies.” 

“You won’t,” he challenges, to which Renjun narrows his eyes and dangles it over the ground. “Shit, you will. Oh my god— _Injun_ , it’s a venti.”

Anticipation mounts as Renjun's grip becomes lax and his drink just hovers there, the possibility getting realer and more mortifying as the seconds pass. "I refused to let him pay me," Jaemin blurts. "I'm gonna do the whole summer as a volunteer."

He slides the cup back, which Jaemin holds protectively. “Knew it.”

Jaemin flicks him and takes a tentative sip. “All this trouble and there’s only one shot,” he sulks. “Not dark enough.”

Renjun snorts, revelling in his suffering. “Get it yourself next time, then.”

“I will,” he declares. “And since I love you so much, I’ll make sure to buy one just for you with eight shots of espresso and no milk.”

Renjun rolls his eyes, but a smile tugs at his lips and he puts his hand atop Jaemin’s, pulling out his phone. “Shut up and drink it.”

Jaemin smiles to himself, letting a comfortable silence settle between them. He scans the café, spots a head of rusty hair, and then a dollop of whipped cream is swiped across his nose. He blinks, and Renjun taps his arm. “What happened to your hand?”

“Slammed it into the door handle.”

He gently turns it over, grimacing. "Nasty bruise." 

Jaemin hums in agreement, then brightens and raises their clasped hands. "We match!"

Renjun rolls his eyes, fond. “Wrong one, though.” 

“This is soulmate culture,” Jaemin dismisses. "Oh, do you wanna know what happened at work the other day? There was this guy, his name was— well he told me Haechan, but it's actually Donghyuck. Like, who does that? Is this a spy movie?" 

Renjun sips his drink, considering. "Sounds familiar. I think he did ballet with me." 

Jaemin stops. "For real?" He laughs. "That's so weird, my cousin knew him too."

"Yeah, he stopped a while ago though. No idea why." Renjun picks his phone up again. "It's a small world."

Jaemin hums in agreement.

He sees Donghyuck tucked into a corner with Jiwoo on his lap, reading a book aloud to her. They’re squished together on a bean bag, looking cozy. A warm feeling floods his chest at the sight of them. Donghyuck notices him and they hold eye contact for a moment before Jaemin looks away, not wanting to intrude. 

He hears Jiwoo ask why they stopped reading, then call his name. Donghyuck makes a face like he really just wants to remove himself from the impending conversation. Jaemin shares the sentiment. Probably the look, too. 

Jiwoo runs up to him, Donghyuck reluctantly following behind her. Jaemin immediately beams, voice pitching up subconsciously. “Hey, Jiwoo! What were you doing?”

She rocks on her heels, hugging a Ryan plush. “Channie read me a book.”

He nods, eyes wide. “What was it about?”

“Mazes.”

He blinks at that, sending Donghyuck a strange look. “Oh. Do you like mazes?”

“No,” she says and turns her attention to her doll, a sign that the conversation is over. Jaemin tries not to laugh at affronted noise Donghyuck makes.

“It’s not about mazes,” he mutters, crossing his arms. Jiwoo ignores him. Donghyuck huffs in mock annoyance and tilts his head at Jaemin. “What're you doing here?”

Jaemin pauses, not expecting that after their first meeting. "Oh, I'm here for my friend. It's his lunch break and he gets lonely, so he says."

Donghyuck leans forward at that. “Really? I’m here all the time, I probably know them.”

He doesn’t know where the sudden interest is coming from, but he’ll give. "Oh, it's—" 

An arm wraps around his shoulder. “Jaem!” Yukhei grins at him. "Yo, Haechan. I didn't know you two knew each other." He gives Jiwoo a fist bump. “How’re you, Chuu?”

“Yeah, me neither.” He throws a pointed glance at Donghyuck. 

“Um, right,” Donghyuck laughs nervously. "You can call me Hyuck."

Yukhei slaps his forehead. "Right, you've told me that before. Sorry dude, I'm so bad at names."

The other waves him off. "It's okay." He leans in close, warping his voice so that it’s impossible to take him seriously. “That’s my future stage name.”

”Speaking of which,” Yukhei lights up,” Oh my gosh, you should hear him sing.” Donghyuck makes a noise of protest. “You’d love it. He’s like, idol material. I sat there like,” he twists his face into one of awe, hands flying to his cheeks. “Dumbstruck.”

Donghyuck flushes and glances away, his ears tinted pink. The gears in Jaemin's head start to turn. 

“No, he’s definitely got to show me sometime,” he says, winking. He links his arm with Yukhei's. "You ready?"

"Yep!" He salutes Donghyuck. "See you in a bit, dude. Bye Chuu!"

Donghyuck just waves as they head off. Jaemin’s mind wanders as Yukhei tells him about work, little tidbits from the programs he joins in on. 

"Do you like him?" he interrupts. “Donghyuck.”

"Of course, he's my friend," Yukhei answers, peering at him. "Why?"

That's all he needs. "Nothing, just wondering," he laughs.

"Mom, I'm back!" 

"Hey, darling," she greets, stopping her laundry to lick her finger and smooth over his cowlick. 

"Oh, has it been like that this whole time?" Jaemin groans. She raises her eyebrow, unimpressed. 

He collapses on the dryer. "I want another five cups of coffee."

Used to his antics, his mom just chuckles. "Why're you here and not in the kitchen then?" He pouts at that, and she shakes her head, knowing his habit of trailing her around the house. "Your verdict?"

"Work. So much work." 

"Now you know how I feel," she says, the words heavier than they should be, laying awkward between them. Her face stays neutral while his mind goes haywire, but she calms the uncomfortable air when she shuts the washer and smoothes down his cowlick again. "I take it it went well then?"

He hesitates. "Yeah," he admits. "It wasn't that bad." 

She nods, gesturing for him to hand her the soap. "I'm glad, I told you it'd be alright. How were—?" 

The dryer beeps, startling him from where he's perched across it, and making him yelp. She snickers as he catches his breath and opens the machine door, the smell of crisp dryer sheets hitting the air. "I'll be done soon. Go on, go up and make your iced coffee."

Sounds of whooping fill the room as Jeno tumbles back and slides into a handstand, walking around a bit before coming back up. There’s silence as Yangyang shows him the video, then their cheering resumes. Jaemin’s been watching them make boomerangs for the past five minutes and it’s cute how excited and encouraging they are towards each other. New friendships are always cute. 

“That’s so cool,” Yangyang gushes, playing it over again. “You’ve gotta show me how to do that sometime.”

Jeno laughs sheepishly, fiddling with his hat. “Thanks.”

“Do mine?” 

Jeno nods and steps away as Yangyang gets into position. He catches Jaemin’s eye, giving him a small smile and wave. Jaemin grins right back. Jaemin does his best to be friendly with the awkwardness lingering between them, having quit gymnastics soon after they met. Jeno’s reputation around the studio shapes Jaemin’s perception more than anything else, known as one of their best despite only being around for a few years. 

“Yes side aerial, get it,” Jaemin yells as Yangyang runs and launches through the air. He stumbles through the landing but takes an exaggerated bow, laughing. He and Jeno high five and inspect the boomerang, nodding in approval before Jeno leaves. 

“You wanna do one?” Yangyang asks from where his body’s now contorted into a backbend. 

Jaemin shakes his head ruefully. “Nah, I can’t do that stuff anymore.”

Yangyang rises from the pose with a grimace. “You can still do most of it, you just can’t go over.” He passes him a drink, which Jaemin accepts gratefully after the intense dance session. He has no clue where they get their energy from. He plops down next to him, knocking his shoulder. " _And_ you can tell the teacher you can't do some of his moves."

Jaemin huffs and moves his bangs out of his face. "You think he actually forgot I was out for a year?"

Yangyang shrugs. "Guess so. But you're not correcting him either, dumbass."

He snorts. "'Cause I can just fake it out instead?"

"I love that chaotic energy," Yangyang says, standing up and offering his hand. "Let's go get ice cream."

Jisung clicks away at his switch as Jaemin drops his bag on the floor. He's been obsessed with Breath of the Wild recently after Jaemin got the game to platinum. Usually, he'll just watch and give pointers, but it seems he's gone way farther than the last time they hung out together.

"Sungie," Jaemin hugs him. He makes no move to acknowledge him. "My honeybunch, apple of my eye," he continues, poking the younger while he mashes the controller. Jisung elbows him and Jaemin falls over with a fake gasp. He crosses his arms and glares, feigning betrayal until he pauses the game.

"Sorry." Jisung resituates himself by draping over Jaemin. They sit in silence for a moment, then he taps Jisung's arm. 

"What's up?" 

Jisung grins. "I finally beat the last boss. Without your help this time." They high five and Jisung continues rambling on about his week. Jaemin listens half-heartedly, hands clasped over his chest, words going in one ear and out the other. "Earth to Nana. Jaemin-ah." That gets his attention, and Jisung shoots him a concerned look. "Is something wrong, hyung?"

He shrugs him off. "My mom was being weird earlier, that's all." Jisung frowns at his deflection. Jaemin sits up. "How're things with the boy you like?" He teases, resting his cheek on his fist. "What was his name again?"

Jisung pauses then pinches him, ears tinged red. "Hey! I'm _not_ telling you that."

Jaemin keeps grinning at him until he relents. "Fine. I went to the soccer team's match because he was cheerleading in it." 

He hums. "Did anything happen?"

"No. Yes. He smiled at me. But he also could've just been smiling at the crowd?" Jisung flops down and covers his eyes. "This is so embarrassing."

"Cute."

He scrunches his nose at that. "Renjun would be like, _Who said romance was dead?"_

Jaemin laughs. "Yeah, probably." He considers. "Does cheer boy have big thighs?"

Jisung peeks at him through his fingers. "Yes." Jaemin wiggles his eyebrows. "Stop, it's just an observation!"

"Jisungie's found the one," he sings, laughing again when Jisung flips him off. "Sorry. We can talk about something else if you want."

"It's fine, hyung," he says. "What about you?"

"Nothing," Jaemin pouts. "I'm living vicariously through you right now."

Jisung sighs. "Trust me, nothing'll happen."

"You don't know that. At least try and talk to him," he argues. "Trust _me._ The sports types aren't as intimidating as you think. Just look at Yukhei, he's like, the biggest puppy ever."

That makes Jisung laugh. "I guess you're right."

"Groups of stars have stories behind them," Jaemin says, pointing to the various designs on the carpet. "This one is Ursa Major, and right under it is Ursa Minor. It has a lot of names. Ursa means bear, isn't that cool?" 

"Like Ryan!" Jiwoo hugs her backpack. "He's my favorite bear."

Jaemin slaps a hand to his heart in shock. "Ryan's not a bear! He's a lion." 

She gasps, mimicking his position. He can't stop himself from smiling at how adorable she is. "There are lion stars too, though." He leads her to the other side. "This one's called Leo. It's special. Because of my birthday, I'm a Leo."

"What!" Jiwoo says, jumping from how excited she is. 

They're still talking about it when Donghyuck comes in, late as usual. "Did you have fun?" He asks, taking a hold of her hand. 

Jiwoo nods eagerly. "Yeah! Oppa told me about space."

They look at each other with wide eyes. Donghyuck's gaze softens. "I'm glad to hear that."

"Yeah, uhm…" Donghyuck rubs the back of his neck. "I just wanted to say sorry for the first day, because I was like, super passive aggressive for no reason and you didn't deserve that.." He shifts his weight. "Especially since you probably had a stressful time with all the kids." 

"We're good, bro." Donghyuck offers him a weak smile. "I'm assuming you didn't have the best day either?"

"You could say that," Donghyuck laughs. "I was kinda going through it. It's not an excuse, though." He quiets, glancing away and slipping his fingers into his pocket. "Are you cool with maybe being friends? Sorta? Friends-in-law? If that works."

Jiwoo tugs on his arm. "What is it?" 

With a face of intense concentration, she bends and pats his shoe. "Minnie, I like your shoes."

Jaemin's heart warms, and it blends into his voice, making it ten times brighter. "Thank you!" 

She pats him again before going on her tiptoes and reaching towards Donghyuck. "Up?" 

He laughs. "Of course, princess. Up you go." He hoists her onto his shoulders, and she puts her hands on his eye for grip, making him scrunch up his face. It's cute. 

They look at each other and Jaemin's smile fades a little. A part of him wishes for the bond they have; the seeming inseparability, the guarantee of a lifetime of precious memories between you and someone you helped grow every step of the way. But another part of him knows he already has it— between his friends, who have been together through the years of highs and lows, encouraging and ever-present. It brings him comfort. What he 'longs for' is just a title. Family is who you choose. 

Donghyuck smiles, unsure, awaiting an answer. 

The contrast in demeanor between him and Jiwoo is stark in this moment, but he's heard Yuta say _She's so much like you_ , and he wants to see, wants to be a part of that side of Hyuck too. "I'd love that."

His eyes shine and it's _blinding_. 

"See you!" Donghyuck sings, Jiwoo waving goodbye. 

Jaemin grins. "See you tomorrow," he echoes. 


End file.
